Macarons are a delicious, delicate, light and airy dessert. Unfortunately, some people can't enjoy them because of their allergies to almond flour, which is what this dessert is traditionally made with. Here is a recipe made without almond flour for everyone to enjoy!
Prep Time 20 min Drying Time 3 hr Bake Time 16 min Total Time 3 hr 36 min
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- 2 large egg whites
- 4 tbs granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- gel food coloring (optional)
- 1 1/4 tsp any extract of your choice (optional) ex: peppermint extract, lemon extract
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 280ºF
First, take your egg whites and beat them with an electric mixer until they are frothy. You can add a pinch of salt to stabilize the egg whites before beating them. Gradually add in the granulated sugar, and beat with an electric mixer until it forms stiff peaks.
Next, in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and the confectioners sugar. Sift it into the egg whites mixture and add in the vanilla extract, gel coloring which is optional, and any other extract, such as peppermint, lemon, or coconut, which is also optional. Gently fold in all the ingredients with a spatula, and don’t over mix it. You can tell if it is ready by taking the spatula and making a figure 8 with the mix. If you can, then it’s ready!
Now, you spoon the mix into a piping bag with a round tip. Pipe a small dot in each corner of a baking sheet. Lay some parchment paper over it and push down. This will keep the parchment paper from lifting up and ruining the macarons.
Then, you pipe a little more than 1 inch circles about 1 1/2 inches apart on the parchment paper. Tap the tray against a hard surface to get rid of any air bubbles. This step is very necessary if it is not done, the macarons will not rise properly.
Let the macarons sit out for about 3 hours, or until you can run your finger across the top and it is firm and nothing comes off. Don’t put them in the oven before they are firm because they will break at the top and rise unevenly.
Bake in the oven for 14-17 minutes, or until they look ready. If your macarons are smaller, I recommend putting them in for around 14 minutes. Over baking them will result in a hard cookie that feels like a rock. Not that enjoyable to eat!
Let the macarons cool completely. Then add a small circle of buttercream to the middle and put the macarons together. Enjoy!
